Butter made out of chickpeas? Yep, it’s a thing! Brooklyn-based vegan company, Fora Foods has perfected the recipe for a new plant-based butter called FabaButter, made using aquafaba, the brine water that is leftover when cooking chickpeas.

Aquafaba can act as an emulsifier, leavening agent, and foaming agent because it has properties similar to those of egg whites. Together with water, coconut oil, and plant-based liquid oil, aquafaba helps create a rich, creamy product that cooks, tastes, bakes and spreads just like traditional butter. FabaButter made its debut this year at the San Francisco Winter Fancy Food Show and Fora co-founders, Andrew McClure and Aidan Altman already have plans for aquafaba-based whipped cream, frostings, and dressings.

“We’ve worked with some vegan chefs and they tell us that it’s the most functional butter alternative on the market that they have worked with.”

In an effort to make their product zero-waste, Fora buys leftover aquafaba from hummus producers, an ingredient that would normally be tossed. FabaButter has met with success. And with consumer awareness of the impact that their dietary habits have on the planet, animals, and their health, they are more actively seeking out plant-based alternatives. According to a report from Neilsen examining growth in the plant-based food space, dairy alternatives are a fast-growing category, with 20 percent growth, topping $700 million in sales over the past year.

Products like FabaButter are not only powerful because they are expanding the ever-increasing plant-based market, but they are also much-needed if we are to create a more sustainable future for the food world. Considering the fact that dairy farms use approximately 3.4 million gallons of water every single day, this is an industry in need of transformation. And thanks to forward-thinking companies like Fora, and products like FabaButter, the food space is evolving towards more sustainable (and delicious!) options.

• VEGAN
Renowned vegan chefs say FabaButter is the most functional butter alternative on the market.